Halloween Blackjack Ball. (HBB) On October 29, 2005, Viktor Nacht and Max Rubin hosted the first annual HBB. This was meant to allow fellow Internet community members to meet in a safe environment, mingle with established and rising gaming celebrities and authors and see and be seen by the producers of the then-new Ultimate Blackjack Tour. The HBB event occurred once more, on October 28, 2006. [ halloweenblackjackball.com ]
[ Web Archive 2007 ]

DISCLAIMER

According to the HBB disclaimer, Viktor Nacht’s Halloween Blackjack Ballwas not affiliated with, but was an utter and blatant rip-off of, Max Rubin’s illustrious but private Blackjack Ball. 🙂

hand. The cards dealt to or held by the players. Also called the deal. There are 55 different player hands that are possible. There are also 10 different dealer up-cards that are possible. Thus, there are a total of 550 different hands possible. An estimate of the typical number of hands per hour that a player can receive in blackjack is:

hand-held multi-deck games. The casinos are always trying to find ways to fool you. This is really a 5 to 8-deck game that is shuffled every deck or less. Al Rogers (from bj21) writes, “There usually is a sign on the table that reads ‘Hand-Held Multi-Deck Game,’ though the casino will frequently try to hide the sign behind ashtrays or other objects on the table.“[ bj21.com/bj_reference/pages/41143.html ]

handle. The total amount of money exchanging hands between a player and the house. Sometimes referred to as a player’s action.

hanger. Paper money that hasn’t dropped completely into the drop box and usually due to a bent corner. See earring.[80 Solkey Dummy Up and Deal 112]

hard. As in hard hand. A hand without an ace that can be counted as 11. A hard count would be the value of a hard hand.

Harris, Brett. According to his bio, “Brett Harris received his Ph.D. in physics (in the area of Quantum Gravity). He developed an interest in blackjack in the late 1990s. Along with Karel Janecek and others, he was instrumental in the development of what has become known as ‘Optimal Betting Theory’, and the discovery that it was possible to calculate a true count for unbalanced counting systems. He is famous for his UNBALO unbalanced count system to beat the OVER/UNDER 13 side bet at blackjack…” See BRH count. See Ubalo.[ blackjackreview.com/wp/archives/brh-systems/ ][ bjinsider.com/newsletter_112_unbalanced.shtml ]

head-up. (or heads up) As in a head-up game. Also called head-on. To play alone with the dealer. Card counters generally find it significantly more advantageous to play head-up in single-deck games. The game is faster and you tend to get deeper penetration than when several players are being dealt to.

heat. The actions or comments by casino personnel that lead a player to believe that he is suspected of cheating or card counting. The intent, from the casino’s point of view, is to try to make the player nervous. Heat is a form of harassment and a countermeasure from casino personnel. Floormen and pit staff may talk to the counter and attempt to distract him/her to break them off the count. See game control. See camouflage.

high-low pickup. {CHS} (aka Hen Pecking) Picking up high cards and low cards separately for the purpose of cheating. A dealer may pick up all the high cards and then all the low cards and then attempt to control these cards through the shuffle. Since the dealer knows where the different slugs of high and low cards are he can control who gets them.

Hi-Opt I. {PCS/L1}. (Charles Einstein / Lance Humble). A balanced card counting system originally devised by Charles Einstein in 1968 and refined and further developed by Lance Humble (1974) and Julian Braun. The Hi-Opt strategies were very popular during the late 70’s and early 80’s. Multi-parameters were added in 1976. See Einstein Count.

Hi-Opt II.{PCS/L2}. (Lance Humble) (c1976). This balanced count, introduced a few years after Hi-Opt I, was considered by many to be the most powerful card counting system on the market at the time. In addition to the regular count, players were advised to keep a side count of 8’s and 9’s in addition to aces. See Steppine Count.

high card. Typically a reference to a ten-valued card, however, occasionally a 9 is considered a high card. An ace can be considered a high card for betting purposes and a low card for playing purposes. See low card. See neutral card.

hit. To draw additional cards beyond the original two cards in an attempt to improve the hand. Hit cards are typically dealt to the player face up and on the layout such that both digits and the center spot are exposed. To signal for a hit, scratch the felt with your finger or fingers toward you (face up game) or similarly with your cards (in a face down game). See stand.

Las Vegas Postcard – Circa 1950

hit and run. {CS}. To enter a game, play a hand or two, and leave. A strategy of playing only those games where the count indicates a player advantage. See Wonging. See back counting.

Hit-Me BJ.{BS}. (c1980?). Warcy Cards, Vista, CA. A $10 plastic coated deck of playing cards on which the basic strategy is printed in as many as 8 colors for 10 different situations.[80 Casino & Sports Vol.10,30]

hit soft 17. (H-17). A rule requiring the dealer to hit all soft 17’s. This rule was prevalent in Reno and downtown Las Vegas in the 1990s. H-17 card counting variations (versus S-17) affect the indices to the greatest extent when the dealer shows a 6 or an Ace. See soft 17. PA = -.2%

The Hobbit. An alias of course. Winner of the 1998 and 2005 “Blackjack Cup” at Max Rubin’s annual Blackjack Ball. According to Rubin, The Hobbit is “… one of blackjack’s most dangerous players, he’s scary smart and has successfully plied his trade against the casinos for two decades.“[ maxrubin.com/ball_past_winners.html ]

hold. A casino term for the percentage of the drop which is retained by the casino. The hold or the drop should not be confused with the theoretical percentage edge (house advantage) that a casino has on an individual play.

hole-card. The face down card that the dealer deals to himself. In most casinos the dealer will peek at his hole-card if his up-card is an ace. In Nevada some casinos will also peek under their tens but this practice is becoming rarer due to casino awareness of tell play strategies. In Atlantic City and on some cruise ships the dealer will wait until all the players have finished their hands before revealing it. In Europe, no hole-card is drawn until all the players have finished with their hands. See Rules of the Game. See exposed hole-card.[ Photo Credit: Dealer Peeking at Hole-Card (Courtesy Dustin D. Mark’s CAB 2000) ]

home run table. A hot table. A table that has just previously been very favorable for the players.[85 Patterson TARGET Manual]

Hopper. T. Developer of the T-H and Bushido card counting systems. T. Hopper created a counter’s oriented basic strategy that optimizes the winnings for card counters without changing strategy with the count.[ bjrnet.com/thop/ ]

hopping the deck. {CHS} The dealer action of nullifying a player’s cut of the cards and thus returning them to their original pre-cut order.[99 The Blackjack Glossary bj21.com]

hot. As in a hot deck. 1) A deck or shoe that has just previously been very favorable. 2) A deck or shoe that is favorable to the player, that is, with a high plus count. See cold.

house. The casino or bank. The establishment running the blackjack game.

house advantage. (HA). Also called the house edge, house odds, cut, take, or P.C. The theoretical advantage that the casino has on a bet. Usually represented as a positive (+) percentage value. The HA can also be defined as the ratio of the gambler’s expected net loss to his expected amount of action. See advantage. See hold. See expectation.[81 Ethier The House Advantage] [87 Clark The Dictionary of Gambling & Gaming 105]
[ wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/calculator/ ]

house edge. See house advantage.

house dealer. A dealer who wants to win every hand for the casino.

house money. The urban definition of playing in a gambling game and in the black (i.e., winning) and feeling good. The attitude is that if you lose it is not your money but the house’s money. Of course this is silly… once the money has been won by you it is entirely yours.

House Money. (c2012) A blackjack side bet from Bally Technologies. According to their literature: House Money is an exciting blackjack side bet. The object is to get one of the following two-card starting hands: Ace-King Suited, Straight Flush, Pair, or Straight. If players start with one of these hands, they may take down their winnings or they may add them to their standard blackjack wager, letting them play with … House Money! Players must make a standard blackjack wager. They may also make the House Money wager for any amount within the posted limits. Players will then get their first two cards. The House Money bet wins if a player’s first two cards are:

Ace-King

Suited Straight

Flush Pair

Straight

If the House Money bet wins, players may collect the proceeds (winnings and original bet), or they may add them to their standard blackjack wager. If the dealer has blackjack then players must collect their proceeds. According to the Wizard of Odds, this side bet (also called House Money 21) was invented by Roger Snow of Shuffle Master.[ sggaming.com/Shuffle-Master/Table-Games/Blackjack-Side-Bets/House-Money ]

house shuffle. The shuffle designated by casino policy. Often, house shuffles are predictable and can be exploited by individuals knowledgeable in the intricacies of shuffle tracking.

Hulbert, Cathy. (aka Cat) (Born 1950) Former professional gambler, poker player and card counter. Part of Ken Uston’s 1979 team in Atlantic City and a member of the Czech team. Cat was one of the world’s first professional female card counters. Card Player magazine named her one of the top 7-card stud players in the world in 1996. According to Max Rubin, “Cat was selected as one of BBC’s 100 Women of 2016 – an honor given to ‘high profile women from the spheres of entertainment, sport, business and politics.’ Chosen for being the first woman to break through the glass ceiling of professional blackjack in 1978, she played on the Czechoslovakian blackjack team in over 300 casinos world-wide. Cat’s aggressive play and fearlessness changed many opinions on the mathematical and emotional capabilities of women to bet-it-up under pressure.” Author of Outplaying the Boys: Poker Tips for Competitive Women. A nominee for the Blackjack Hall of Fame.[ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Hulbert ]
[ bbc.com/news/magazine-38103674 ]
[ youtube.com/watch?v=mTaWkjcSplY ]
[ 03 Gambling Wizards 191 ]